A journalist was mistakenly included in a group chat where Trump administration officials discussed U.S. military strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, revealed in an article published on Monday that he was mistakenly added to a group chat labeled “Houthi PC Small Group” on March 13. The chat included Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and other top officials.
The group used Signal, a secure but unauthorized messaging app for classified discussions. According to Goldberg, officials exchanged messages detailing planned airstrikes, including targets, weapons, and timing.
At one point, Vance questioned the necessity of the strikes, expressing concerns about oil prices and European reliance on U.S. forces. Hegseth dismissed the concerns, stating, “Nobody else even close. I think we should go.”
After the strikes, officials congratulated each other. Waltz responded with emojis, Rubio wrote, “Good job, Pete and your team!!” and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles added, “Kudos to all – most particularly those in theater and CENTCOM!”
Initially suspecting the messages might be part of a disinformation campaign, Goldberg realized their authenticity after seeing the strikes carried out hours later in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.
“No one in the chat seemed to notice that I was there,” he wrote, adding that he left the group after confirming the discussion was real.
“This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added,” said National Security Council (NSC) spokesman Brian Hughes in a statement to The Atlantic.
Hughes added: “The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials. The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to troops or national security.”
However, security experts and former intelligence officials expressed alarm. “They broke every procedure known to man about protecting operational material before a military strike,” one former senior official told The Atlantic.
Representative Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.), an Army veteran on the House Armed Services Committee, called the situation “FUBAR” and demanded a congressional hearing.
President Donald Trump said he was unaware of the incident. “I don’t know anything about it. I’m not a big fan of The Atlantic,” he told reporters.
The White House said Monday it is reviewing how The Atlantic‘s editor-in-chief was mistakenly added to a group chat.
“At this time, the message thread that was reported appears to be authentic, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain,” the NSC said in a statement to NBC News.
The U.S. has been targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen since November 2023, following attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea. The airstrikes are part of a broader campaign to reduce the group’s threat to global shipping.
